New York Yankees: Updated top 10 prospects for 2018
8. Domingo Acevedo, RHP
Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 3/6/94 (24)
2017 teams/levels played for: high-A Tampa Yankees, AA Trenton Thunder, AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders
2017 Stats: 23 GS, 133 IP, 3.25 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 6.2% BB, 26% K
Info: In spite of having a 6’7″, 250-pound frame, Acevedo’s calling card since being signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2013 has been exceptional control.
Acevedo is no “control artist” with marginal stuff, though. He runs his fastball up to 98, sitting 93-95 in games I watched this summer with both elite command and control. His change is one of the best in the entire New York Yankees system.
The deciding pitch for Acevedo in his success is his slider. The slider comes in with low-80s velocity and sharp, short break. The pitch’s break can get soft, however, and that’s when it can get his hard.
The Yankees have been working on Acevedo to pitch “backwards” to get away from a heavy reliance on his fastball, a pitch he threw almost 80% of the time in 2016. That is really the last hurdle Acevedo has to being a major league starter.
Acevedo has the type of stuff that he could be an excellent guy in multiple innings in the bullpen if he’s not able to make the full development as a starter. He will start the season in AAA most likely, but he’ll likely be there the entire 2018 season, outside of a September call up.
7. Freicer Perez, RHP
Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 3/14/96 (22)
2017 teams/levels played for: low-A Charleston RiverDogs
2017 Stats: 24 GS, 123 2/3 IP, 2.84 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 8.7% BB, 22.7% K
Info: Freicer’s frame is absolutely eye-catching. Standing 6’8″ tall, Perez towers on the mound. Of course, he’s still quite lean, needing to fill out his lengthy frame.
He was signed “late”, signing with the New York Yankees in 2015 and getting his pro feet wet with the Yankees Dominican club, where he threw 69 innings and struck out 68 while only walking 17.
Perez has an impressive delivery that he can repeat
Perez has an impressive delivery that he can repeat, allowing him to both generate upper-90s velocity while also having excellent control of all four pitches.
He works with a slider, curve, and change that each have days where they can flash plus and each can have days of showing below-average effectiveness as well, mainly due to struggles Perez has in maintaining consistent spin on the ball, even with his fastball.
Even when he struggles with his feel on the ball, quality control and excellent plane will allow him to continue to be effective.
Next: #5 and #6